Across the Universe

Time flew by and the storm rolled on outside after Thor and Scarlett arrived at the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. The misunderstanding was easily cleared up with Coulson. Particularly relieved was Maria Hill when she realized that Scarlett had magical assistance out of the cell. It had really bothered her that Scarlett had disappeared right under her nose. She’d somehow felt responsible for her escape! Even though they’d decided Scarlett wasn’t, in fact, guilty of anything, it had still made her feel guilty.

Thankfully, Phil Coulson was willing to put the entire incident behind him, especially after some convincing from Thor who felt responsible for the entire misunderstanding to begin with. He was dead set on making it up to Scarlett after everything he had put her through even though she insisted his preventing her from portal travel a second time had been enough. As eager as he had been to forgive Scarlett for her “escape”, Phil was not as keen on the idea of allowing Mitchell in on the investigation without further conversation and study. She was a being from another dimension; they could learn many things from her. Scarlett insisted that the woman was half human so that meant they already knew quite a bit about her. Maria, Mickey, and Daniel each had experience working with her and upon further probing each agreed that she could be useful in the investigation.

“Do you know how many rules you’ve broken?” Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Scarlett shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

“It’s my first week?”

Mickey had to stifle her laughter but Tony made no attempts to hide it from the others.

“Where is she? How long have you known about her?” Coulson had grown accustomed to ignoring the reactions of others, especially when it came to Tony Stark.

“She came out of the portal in Pennsylvania last night. She’s as much of a victim of this as we are, as Thor is.” Steve responded. He’d calmed down considerably with the help of his comrades. Once the drama had been sorted out and he’d been assured that no legal action was going to be taken, it had been far easier to relax his nerves.

“So you both knew about this and decided not to report her after you were debriefed?” Maria was flipping through the folder filled with paperwork that had been filled out the night before. Jinx was sitting nearby, spinning in her chair. She already knew how the conversation would end, or at least she thought she knew, so she didn’t find it necessary to pay that much attention. Occasionally she would stop and tap at the computer nearby and search through the readings that had been picked up. Bruce was next to her, standing and looking at the screen of one of the computers, occasionally readjusting his glasses.

“You didn’t report her?” Scarlett looked to Steve in surprise. She had expected him to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, particularly with the way he’d treated her the night before. Maybe she’d misjudged Captain America. Misjudgment seemed to be going around lately.

“It didn’t seem necessary.” Steve shrugged his shoulders but didn’t look to Scarlett. He was still embarrassed from the night before but he refused to let it become a road block. Steve firmly believed in overcoming obstacles, not succumbing to them even if that obstacle was particularly stubborn and dating someone he had very little respect for. “She had gotten away and we hadn’t heard from her afterward. You said it yourself, she was as much a victim as we were.”

“Thank you.” Scarlett was genuinely surprised but also pleased to be backed up by her partner even if she hadn’t expected it. Steve nodded to acknowledge the gesture. “Look, Coulson, she’s not going to help S.H.I.E.L.D. unless you agree to her terms.”

“Can you blame her?” Tony muttered under his breath. The idea that they would hold someone captive, simply for existing, rubbed Tony the wrong way. After all he’d been through, after all Scarlett had been through, the idea of being guilty until proven innocent frustrated Tony to no end.

“And what happens if she double crosses us? What if she’s in cahoots with this creature disrupting our universes?”

“Cahoots? What are you? Ninety?” Tony scoffed then turned to Steve without missing a beat. “No offense.” Steve gave him a look of disapproval then rolled his eyes.

“Answer the question.”

“Then we roll with the punches. I’d rather give her a chance to prove herself rather than condemn her from the get go. You don’t have to give her any death rays or super human technology. If you ask me, if she wanted to off any of us, she would have already done it.” Scarlett had a feeling that overall, Mitch was one of the good guys. She was hard to read at times, but seemed smart, strong, and confident. While they were in the mall she could have very easily looked out only for herself, but instead she’d helped a group of strangers stay alive against powers beyond their control. That said quite a bit about the kind of person she was.

“Fine, let’s say that I allow this to play out.” Phil held up his hand, still tossing the idea over in his mind. He had the distinct feeling that Scarlett wasn’t actually giving him a choice in the matter. If he said no, she’d probably do it anyway. Her employment was clearly going to be a problem. Tony was still far more rebellious but Tony wasn’t a field agent, Tony was a consultant and was only his problem sometimes. Whatever missteps Scarlett took would become his responsibility, his problem. If she turned out to be as good an agent as Natasha then he wouldn’t have a problem with it, but he wasn’t sure Scarlett was done causing trouble.

“Mitchell seems to think that the reason she can’t teleport away from here is because of the radiation lingering in the air. She’s not sure that’s the reason but I think it’s a pretty safe bet. Whatever powers she has conflicts with whatever is trying to push its way through and the gamma that it’s releasing into the atmosphere. Until it’s dissipated she’s trapped here. You can see why she would be motivated to help us.”

“Or to thwart us. Even if that thing pushes through to our world, the radiation could disappear. For all you know, she’s helping it.” Maria argued. Scarlett rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

“I think we should give the girl a chance.” Daniel spoke up. He’d been quiet until that moment, watching the others and feeling them out. They obviously had a preconceived group dynamic without him and if he wanted to find his place amongst them he had to play quietly in the background for the time being.

“Do you?” Phil and Maria spoke at the same time, seemingly surprised by Daniel’s response. Scarlett was puzzled. Why did they seem to trust this newcomer more than the team that had dealt with this problem thus far? Her judgment was obviously free of bias so why on earth was Daniel’s more worthy of their interest? S.H.I.E.L.D. was rubbing her the wrong way left and right.

“She worked well with us, looked out for us when she didn’t have to. Seemed to know quite a bit more about this whole debacle than we could possibly know on our own.” Daniel stepped forward and stood proudly in front of them. Despite how the rest of them looked worse for wear after the fight at the mall, Daniel seemed oddly composed and well taken care of. The James Bond vibe Tony had earlier implied seemed more appropriate now that Scarlett wasn’t viewing it as an insult. “I’d suggest we let her help under the conditions you don’t hold her captive but keep her at arms’ length. Don’t give her passwords to your computer systems, if she needs official clearance for something make sure one of you is there to help her out with it.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Coulson seemed pleased by the idea.

“Compromise is almost always the best course of action.” Daniel smiled a little and then stepped back into formation behind the others. He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. There were too many powerful people in the room and he wasn’t in the mood to make enemies.

“Scarlett, go tell your friend that we’ll agree to her terms as long as she’ll agree to ours.”

“I dislike being the messenger.” Scarlett muttered but turned on her heels. Jinx got up from her seat and started to follow along behind her. She was especially curious to meet Mitchell after everything she’d learned about her. What exactly did a half demon look like? Jinx was disappointed to see that Mitchell didn’t look much different than anyone else. How was she supposed to tell that she was a half demon? She was expecting horns! And a tail! Mitchell was severely lacking in the horns and tails department.

Jinx pouted as she escorted Scarlett and Mitch down the halls of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building and back to the situation room where the others were still discussing their next course of action. Mitchell introduced herself quickly and politely but stayed near the hallway in case she had to make a run for it. Maybe it had come across to the others that she used her portals to get everywhere but that wasn’t the case. More often than not, Mitch would use ordinary methods of transportation instead.

After all was said and done Mitchell quietly, but confidently, explained her predicament and what she believed was keeping her hostage on earth.

“So you see why I’m interested in what S.H.I.E.L.D. is doing in regards to this situation.” Mitchell spoke clearly but gave Scarlett a look that told her just how uncomfortable she really felt dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D. Scarlett gave her a discreet thumbs-up to assure her she was handling things just fine. “Not to mention I was assured you’d get in my way otherwise.”

“That being said,” Scarlett quickly picked up the conversation before an argument could break out. Maria and Phil had both opened their mouths to do just that and Scarlett could definitely live without that conversation. It was late in the evening and if they were ever going to get any work done they would have to play nice. Scarlett felt like she was mediating between the two opposing forces and she hated it. Mitchell had been right. If they had abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. then they would’ve likely figured things out by now. Unfortunately, that was not how the world worked, at least not in the United States of America and they had to play by the rules of the law, at least for now. “If we can find a way to stop whatever it is from trying to come through for good then it’s possible we can find a way for Mitchell to get out of here.”

“What if,” Bruce began much to everyone’s surprise, “we think about this the other way around?” He was thoughtfully tapping his fingers against his leg and looking out into the distance. “What if we harness whatever it is that’s keeping Mitchell here and use that to trap the creature or person behind these disturbances? Maybe if we use its own energy field against it we can prevent it from leaving once it’s broken through. That would put a stop to the destruction here and in other worlds.”

“Then we could find a way for Mitchell to leave.” Scarlett seemed impressed.

“But what if it doesn’t work? What if you allow this creature to crossover and then have no control over it? The destruction could be catastrophic. Trapping a creature beyond our power that we don’t understand here on earth?” Tony walked around Scarlett and toward Bruce. He’d only gotten to speak with the man for a few moments and he was hoping to get to speak to him at length, specifically on the matter of his presumed death and the fact that he wasn’t, well, dead.

“We’ll have to make sure it doesn’t come to that. I’m confident that with the evidence we’ve collected including the information Miss Damien obtained in the shopping mall this afternoon that with a little technical know how we could create a trap for this… whatever it is.” Bruce smiled confidently, but directed his words toward Tony who he had been eager to speak with since he’d known he would be involved. In fact, Tony’s involvement with the project was partially what had convinced Bruce to come in to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. Bruce was not a big fan of S.H.I.E.L.D. and with good reason, but that was a story for another day.

“You can do that?” Coulson seemed fond of the idea, his arms crossed over his chest and his hand held close to his mouth. He was wary of Mitch’s involvement but if Bruce thought that he could pull off such a scheme he was willing to put the plan into action. Despite how it seemed to the others, Phil Coulson was a risk taker.

“I would need the help of Miss Mitchell here and Mr. Stark but I am confident that we could work something out and in the same breath try to work a way to solve her problem. No one should be trapped here against their will. I will do my best if she will allow.”

“I like the sound of that.” Mitchell was willing to cooperate as long as it led to her inevitable freedom and on her own terms. There would be no telling her what to do. From what she could see, that was how half the people in the situation room operated. It was a wonder they got anything done with all the bickering she’d witnessed.

“If S.H.I.E.L.D. could continue using my system to detect these large amounts of radiation we could try to predict the next event and set up a trap.” Bruce finally turned his attention back to Maria Hill and Phil Coulson. “Whenever this… whatever it is…”

“I wanted to call it a demon.” Scarlett didn’t believe in god and so she most certainly didn’t believe in the devil but the characteristics of the shadow that had overcome her conjured images of devils and demons in her mind. The only other time she’d felt so vile had been while observing an exorcism in Italy and that had been years ago and most certainly not on purpose. “But if Mitchell here is half-demon then I’m not really sure what it is.”

“Oh, I’m half fox demon.” Mitchell spoke as though this were no big deal and practically common knowledge. The only one who seemed to nod in agreement was Thor who knew much more of the universe than the rest of them.

“Is she for real?” Tony whispered to Scarlett who swatted him and then whispered for him to shut up.

“Everything’s relative.” Mitchell continued to explain, though she was instantly rubbed the wrong way by Tony’s attitude. Tony had that effect on people, particularly when they had no idea about his reputation. “In different dimensions demon could mean different things. What you perceive as demons may not be what others perceive as the same. Where I come from it’s obviously not the same as what your religions describe.”

“Which makes sense.” Bruce nodded and smiled politely at Mitchell. He was intrigued by the newcomer and the power she possessed. With any luck, and a little cooperation, he was sure that he could help her stay out of the limelight as she obviously wanted to. It was a wonder she was cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D. at all but no one could see any other choice. Scarlett must have done some smooth talking to pull that off.

“The whole thing was black like a shadow but it also had form…” Scarlett continued to describe the creature that had come after her in the shopping mall. There had been a few times when she’d compared it to the Cthulhu creature envisioned by HP Lovecraft. Thor listened, mildly interested, having agreed with the idea of demons. There were many demons in the universe, but the word rarely conjured a positive image.

“Madam, I’m beginning to worry that someone from Asgard could be behind these attacks.” Thor didn’t want to interrupt the conversation at hand but had noticed that one S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in particular kept stealing glances. Mickey turned bright red and instantly averted her gaze once she realized she’d been caught staring. It wasn’t just because he was handsome but because he was so very large and well, different. There was no way to avoid thinking about the novels that she joked about with Jinx on a regular basis and an embarrassing amount of fan fiction hidden away on her hard drive. Thor, however, pretended not to notice her embarrassment and simply grinned kindly. It was often overlooked that Thor was a gentle giant. He came off as quirky and simple sometimes because of his lack of knowledge of the humans and their way of life, but he was in fact quite intelligent, sentimental, and relatable.

“What? Me?” Mickey had been half listening to the conversation when Thor had spoken to her but had mostly been coaching herself to stay cool. The amount of craziness that had transpired in the past few days was overwhelming. Ever since Scarlett had shown up at S.H.I.E.L.D things had turned upside down and she partially wondered if the woman had done it on purpose. Hadn’t she made a big display about how Mickey was still in the same damn job even though she was practically born and bred for the damn team? Or maybe Mickey was just thinking about how true that was more frequently ever since someone else had pointed it out. It was one thing for her to second guess her career path; it was another for someone else to take notice of the same thing. Maybe it wasn’t just insecurity that was keeping her trapped in the same job at S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe there was something more to it than that. Not wanting to interrupt the others as they theorized over what the creature could, in fact be, she inched closer to Thor. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes, of course… Miss…?”

“Oh uh… Mickey, I mean… Miss Pierce, or uh… you can just call me Mickey.” She smiled, cursing herself mentally for faltering.

“Miss Pierce? That is an odd name. Mickey? I think I will go with that.” He decided but then continued on his train of thought without skipping a beat. “After listening to your tales of heroism this afternoon I am concerned that the person behind this plight may, in fact, be of Asgard.”

“Really? What makes you think that?” Mickey’s voice cracked but only because of the embarrassment she was already feeling. She’d spoken with powerful people many times, but the fact that she’d already flubbed up her conversation with Thor was compounding.

“The way she describes this magic, this darkness… it sounds just like something Loki would conjure up. The shadows with the horns… that sounds remarkably like the helmet my brother was given before he betrayed us.” Thor became serious, looking into the distance. Mickey knew the name Loki from mythology and her recollection was that he was always a troublemaker. Was that the same Loki? If Loki was behind all this trouble they were in over their heads.

He’d caused trouble on earth before. In the desert, he’d sent a terrible machine to come and kill Thor, his brother. S.H.I.E.L.D. had gotten involved and that was how they had created a connection with the god in the first place. Thor had promised allegiance with Midgard and S.H.I.E.L.D. for the rest of his days as thanks for their assistance in the long run.

“You think Loki could be behind this?” Mickey kept her voice low, worried to cause a panic. Coulson would not be happy to hear that name again.

“The last I saw of my brother he chose to fall into the abyss rather than make amends for the wrongs he’d done.” Thor averted his eyes but rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “What deals with what devils would he have had to make to travel through the nine realms without the assistance of the Allfather?”

“Why would your brother do such a thing?” Mickey still didn’t understand the dynamic between them. Family wasn’t supposed to act like that, at least that’s what she’d been led to believe her whole life. She was ninety percent sure that everyone in the room had a story that would prove her wrong in that respect, but still. Maybe the family dynamic worked differently in Asgard.

“My brother is troubled. For now let’s keep this between us. I see no proof of my brother’s meddling thus far. He’s a skilled manipulator, Loki… if he was involved we would have already known it was him. His ego is as big as that helmet he wears. However be careful, Miss Mickey.” Thor looked to her knowingly with piercing blue eyes. “He is formidable. I ask, if he is involved, that you come to me first. I know it must be against your protocol but as troubled as he is, Loki is my brother and I love him. I do not wish him any harm but I would know best how to handle him.”

“Yes, of course.” Mickey was compelled to grant Thor that privilege. If it were her sibling she’d want to protect them too. Besides, this powerful man trusted her with a secret between the two of them while barely knowing her! Why wouldn’t she agree? It was strangely exciting to be given such a thrill by someone so powerful! Surely he had to see something in her that made her worthy of that trust. She wondered what it was and then wondered if she was over thinking it.

“The sooner we get to work the better.” Daniel spoke over the group. He’d heard the conversation between Thor and Mickey. He’d heard every bit of every conversation in that room, but had only paid attention to the ones that seemed to matter. However he seemed inclined to keep their secret. Daniel preferred to hold the knowledge he obtained thanks to his keen skills close to him until it was necessary to reveal the details. People often jumped to conclusions before they could see all the evidence but Daniel had enough experience working these sorts of dangerous cases that he knew how to properly analyze what he’d learned.

“It’s late.” Maria looked to Coulson knowingly.

“If this were anything else I’d say let’s come back in the morning but…”

“Dr. Banner and I are going to get better acquainted while he shows me what he’s gotten from Scarlett’s research.” Tony spoke over Coulson. There was no way he was going home after everything he’d learned. Even if they’d sent him he would’ve kept working on the case. Sleep was out of the question anyway so why not work? Whatever was happening was beyond dangerous now. It would be irresponsible to give up and come back to it later. The sooner they got this trap up and working the sooner they would be able to put a stop to it. He doubted he’d be able to rest easy even after that, but it was still a nice distraction.

“I’m going to need readings from Mitchell, if she doesn’t mind helping out.” Bruce looked to the hesitant woman who seemed reluctant to help but then nodded her head. “Scarlett, would you mind assisting?”

“Sure, I’ve got some work to do on my Tesla glove afterward but that can wait.”

“Good.” Coulson was pleased that everyone was motivated to help out with the case and seemed to be cooperating. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn’t approved the extra work he would have asked the taskforce to stay off the books. This case was especially troubling with the damage it caused but also because it spanned across universes. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been terrified of this exact thing happening and Coulson had been in close contact with Director Fury throughout its inception. He’d been instructed to handle it quietly and carefully as not to cause suspicion or panic. So far, nothing too serious had happened but it was still upsetting enough that something could cross between universes and cause such chaos. S.H.I.E.L.D. had known that would be a problem, they had known and begun to prepare for the safety of the people of earth. But to what extent? Coulson worried. Nick Fury worried.

There were powers even beyond their control, secrets within S.H.I.E.L.D. even they didn’t know. Coulson wanted to help people. It was all he’d ever wanted and as he looked around at his agents as they split themselves into groups, he knew that was what they wanted too. Even though Scarlett had broken a hundred rules, she’d done so to help Mitchell. Clint was now enthusiastically talking to Mitchell about what a fox demon was and Mitchell seemed pleased to feed his curiosity.

“Hey, pops.” Tony smacked Coulson on the back to break him out of his thoughts.

“I’m not much older than you, you know.”

“Really? You have my condolences.” Tony nodded down the hall. “You keep an eye on that radiation nonsense. Alright? Next time you talk to Morpheus or whatever his name is, you tell him I want a word.”

“Morpheus?” Phil stared at him skeptically, watching Scarlett, Clint, and Mitchell walk down the hall.

“You know, The Matrix… black trench coat… red pill, blue pill.”

“I got the reference.”

“Then why did you make me explain it?” Tony looked disappointed.

“I didn’t, you felt the need. Agent Pierce?” Mickey and Jinx were chatting with Thor and Steve, asking him questions about Asgard which he was more than happy to answer but they stopped when Coulson called Mickey.

“Yes, sir?”

“Stay here. Keep an eye on the system that Dr. Banner set up. If you find something even remotely suspicious you call me right away. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Mickey nodded her head resolutely and then turned to the others and whispered her apology. After some deliberation they decided to keep her company. Daniel, however, had completely disappeared once the others had started down the hall. Coulson looked back to Tony curiously then without a goodbye shook his head in dismay and walked down the hall.

“I worry for him, ya know?” Tony turned toward Bruce who he felt oddly comfortable talking to even though they’d had very limited communication so far.

“Why is that?” Bruce chuckled and started with Tony down the hall.

“Never relaxes. Going to work himself to death if he keeps this up.” Tony shoved his hands in his pockets but quickly changed the subject. He didn’t want people to start thinking he was sentimental or anything. “So, Dr. Banner, tell me, how does one survive the amount of Gamma radiation you were blasted with?”

“You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Bruce was in disbelief, but somehow endeared by Tony’s honesty. It was refreshing. Most people ignored the elephant in the room, but Tony seemed to want to bring the elephant right into the conversation and parade it around.

“I’ve found that small talk is often for small minds.” Tony nodded and followed Bruce into his lab, impressed by the setup he had created. Monitors were going through a constant stream of data, presumably from the machine Scarlett had brought with her into battle. There was a table of chemistry equipment, performing experiments that Tony was only partially familiar with. With a bit of probing he would understand fully what Bruce was up to. Tony had no doubt that by the end of the night he could be just as much the expert Bruce was on the matter if he put his mind to it.

“It’s a long story.”

“Well, we have quite a bit of time.” Tony wanted to know Bruce’s story. If he was working with S.H.I.E.L.D. there was good reason for it.

“Here, let me show you how this phenomenon operates as far as I can tell. I’ve recreated the radiation distribution on the computer so we could better break it down.” Bruce ignored Tony’s inquiry and returned to the computer. The table in the center of the room glowed blue with light and displayed a holographic image of what Bruce had diagramed earlier in the day. The two scientists discussed possible causes and theories that came to mind. There was a short period of time where Mitchell, who appeared weary but refused to admit it, explained her powers. Scarlett gave them the readings and left them to their musings.

Mitchell was curious about her Tesla glove and the technology that fueled it and Scarlett promised to show her how to take it apart and put it back together. Left alone again with Tony Stark, Bruce began to sketch out ideas for how to build a trap for whatever creature was trying to push through dimensions. Tony, however, was still watching the door. He leaned against the table and then tapped his fingers against it.

“Dr. Stark, what do you think about replicating the portal energy that was going through…” Bruce held up a piece of paper but Tony didn’t turn toward him. He was still staring out the door, thinking. “If we replicated the energy field to drain the energy that had been absorbed by the light described by onlookers we may be able to stop this creature in its tracks.” Tony nodded but still wasn’t really listening. “That wouldn’t solve Mitchell’s problem, but perhaps eliminating the disturbance would allow, with time…” Bruce stopped when Tony nodded again even though he hadn’t yet finished talking. The billionaire wasn’t listening. “I’m not wearing any pants.”

“Yeah that could work.”

“What’s wrong?” Bruce put down his paper and leaned against the table, facing away from it.

“Hmm?” Tony finally looked toward Dr. Banner but still seemed distracted.

“You’re not paying attention to anything I’m saying.”

“It’s been a long few days. Easily distracted at this point.” Tony nodded and opened his mouth to say something else but then reconsidered. “Show me what you’ve got there.”

“Is there something on your mind? If you can’t focus on the task at hand…”

“It’s weird that you’re here.” Tony checked the door again and then looked around the room for cameras that were surely spying on them from above. If he could speak quietly and discreetly enough he wouldn’t be overheard, hopefully.

“I know. I’m sure that the whole… missing for years thing isn’t an easy pill to swallow.” Bruce looked guilty but averted his gaze. His story was complex and in a way he was still coping with it himself. He wasn’t eager to discuss it, not even with Tony Stark who didn’t seem the type to judge.

“No, that’s not why. I’ve seen and heard weirder when it comes to that, trust me.” Tony scoffed and then held his hand a few inches over his mouth as he spoke so that his lips wouldn’t be read. “There was an incident in the Middle East a few months back that I was involved in, that… Scarlett was involved in. I found some things of note that I can’t seem to decipher myself. From what I can tell, it’s not good. I’ve been looking into experts in genetics and pharmacology but I can’t seem to find anyone worthy of my trust. The first person that came to mind was you at the time. But you were missing. Now you’re here. Isn’t that odd?”

“That is an awfully big coincidence.” Dr. Banner rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If someone else had orchestrated their get together then he wouldn’t understand why or how. Sometimes coincidences really were just that. “Why don’t you just do it yourself? There are very few people with the sort of brainpower you possess. I’m sure if you put your mind to it you could be an expert in no time. What’s another degree in your belt anyway?”

“While I’m more than happy to agree with you on that, this is a bit personal for me. I’m having a hard time even looking at it. My mind seems to process the information into several worse caste scenarios instead of analyzing it without bias.” Tony spent the next few minutes explaining how he’d met Scarlett and very vaguely at that. If he could keep their history private he was going to. Sure, if Bruce became a trustworthy friend then he would be happy to tell him the whole story over a glass of scotch sometime but for now, it was the barebones facts. He recounted what he’d found scribbled in invisible ink on the walls of the apartment in Herat that he’d discovered months ago. Bruce seemed troubled by the implications of the viral weaponry being created and the blood that Scott had been in possession of.

“What is it you want me to do?”

“This guy’s back. He’s not going to leave us alone, not until either she’s dead or he is.” Tony knew that was what it came down to and it was partially why he’d lost his mind the night before. Could he really accept that it was her life or Scott’s? Tony was all for saving lives and doing what was right but he kept envisioning hunting down Scott and taking his life. When it came time to pull the trigger would he be able to do it? He wasn’t sure he could. In fact, he was positive he wouldn’t purposely be able to take a man’s life. Sure, he was a scumbag sometimes but Tony wasn’t a murderer. The bigger problem was that he knew if the tables were turned Scott would kill him without a second thought.

“So you two are trying to…”

“She doesn’t know. I want to keep it that way.” Tony immediately held up his hand and then looked over his shoulder again to check the doorway. Bruce immediately scowled in disapproval.

“This involves her, she should know. Secrecy is a bad idea. Aren’t you in enough trouble these days?”

“Why is everyone such a gossip in this place?” Tony couldn’t believe how many people knew about their private business. Then again, this fact had never bothered him in the past seeing as his life had always been disgustingly public.

“This is serious. If someone’s coming after her, she needs to be prepared.”

“That’s what they want. She’ll go after them! I know she will. That’s the kind of person she is. She takes action. It’s a great and terrible quality. No, for now this is just between us.”

“Between us?”

“I need help with the medical information I found in Herat. I need help, tracking these people down and finding out what they’re up to next. If I can put a stop to this without hurting her again, without losing her, then I’m going to. It’s about time someone fought for her and not against her.”

“I’m sure she would much prefer if you fought side by side.” Bruce was still scolding Tony, obviously against hiding the truth. This was Scarlett’s fight to fight and it wasn’t Tony’s decision, at least that’s how he saw it.

“Are you going to help me or not?” Tony was beginning to get frustrated. “We don’t have time for this now. We need to get started on this trap before the girl with the blue sparkly powers is stuck here forever and some Cthulhu demon has broken through from the other side to attack us with its slimy ghost tentacles.” He wiggled his fingers comically and got a laugh out of Bruce which he was pleased by. The conversation had gotten far too serious for his liking.

“Fine.” Bruce picked up his paper again and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Here’s what I was thinking.” Tony looked over the diagram he’d earlier ignored.

“Yeah, you’re going to have to explain this, your handwriting is terrible.” Tony handed the piece of paper back to him. He hated being handed things.

“A real charmer, aren’t you?” Bruce laughed out loud and took the paper, then walked over to the computer and began adding his calculations. “We’re going to create a barrier that blocks this sort of radiation. Or traps it. I can’t decide which would be better.”

“Both options sound dangerous.”

“It only should be for the creature trying to pass through.”

“What about the fox lady? Wouldn’t she get hurt if she got too close?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to warn her not to touch it just in case.”

“Classy.” Tony nodded to agree and poured over the calculations Bruce was adding into the computer over his shoulder. Bruce suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Are you one of those guys with personal space issues? Because I am, but only when it’s my personal space being invaded.”

“I don’t like that I’m included in your lying, I’m just throwing that out there.” Bruce shook his head in dismay and Tony patted him on the back.

“You’re being a real trooper about it.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.” Silence fell for all but a minute between them before Tony furrowed his brow in realization.

“Did you call me Dr. Stark before?”

“Well, you do have doctorates, don’t you?”

“Yeah, six of them.” Tony nodded. He had no trouble bragging about that sort of thing.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“No one calls me Doctor. It’s weird.”

“Yeah, well asking a complete stranger to lie to your girlfriend while someone’s trying to kill her is pretty weird too.” Bruce made sure no one was listening and spoke under his breath. Tony couldn’t help but be grateful. Despite his objections Bruce was doing everything he could to keep his promise to Tony. Hopefully, before long, they’d find a resolution and no one would have to lie about anything.